Fish canning machinery



5 Sheets-Sheet l E. M. BORG FISH CANNING MACHINERY Filed July 13, 1942INVENTOR Eon/4,20 50/26 ATTORNEYJ Oct. 23, 1945.

c 1945. E. M. BORG FISH CANNING' MACHINERY Filed July 13, 1942'5'SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR Eowneo M. 8026 ATTORNEYS Oct. 23, 1945. E. M1BORG FISH GANNING MACHINERY Filed July 13, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR EDWHEO M. Bees B MW ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 23, 1945 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE FISH CANNING MACHINERY Edward M. Borg, Seattle,Wash.

Application July 13, 1942, Serial No. 450,701

4 Claims.

This invention relates to fish canning machinery and has reference moreparticularly to improvements in machines designed for the compressing ofthe fish after it has been placed in cans, but prior to operation ofseaming the end closures Onto the filled cans; this invention beingdesigned for the same purposes of the machines which have been describedand illustrated in my copending application filed May 16, 1942, underSerial No. 443,209, and for use in carrying on the method disclosed inmy copending application filed February 17, 1942, under Serial No.431,255.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a machine of theabove character, designed for the quick, effective and economicalcompressing of fish'in the cans for the purpose of extraction ordisplacement of liquid content therefrom; the desirability of which isexplained in the above mentioned application on the meth od.Furthermore, it is an object of this invention to provide a machine of acontinuous, progressive type; that is, to provide a machine in which thefilled cans are to be received in rapid succession at one end thereof,to progress in a continuous stream through the machine while certaindevices operate to apply mechanical pressure to their contents for theextraction or displacement of liquid content.

More specifically stated, the objects of the present invention resideinthe provision of va machine of the character and for the purposes abovestated, wherein the cans are conveyed horizontally, between two spacedand similarly moving pressure applying belts, on one of which belts,

abutments or tables are arranged to seat against the closed ends of thecans, and on the other of which, pistons or plungers are arranged forentering the open ends of the cans to compress the fish or othercontents thereof; also, there being guideways in which supports for thepressure applying belts travel and whereby the belt which carries theplungers is caused to so advance the plungers into the cans as to efiecta predetermined, desired pressure against the contents of the cans asthey travel through the machine.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the details ofconstruction of belts, guideways,

and other parts, and in the combination and mode of operation of partsas will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I haveprovided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms ofwhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- CJI Fig. 6is a plan view of one of the roller guideways.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of one ofthe guideways for the belt which carriesthe pressure applying plungers.

Briefly described, the present machine which is of the horizontal typeas distinguished from the vertical, rotary type, comprises a continuousconveyor belt, having one run thereof operable along a horizontalguideway; this belt being equipped, at regular intervals of spacing,with means for receiving and holding the filled cans horizontally andtransversely of the belt as they are conveyed thereby from one end ofthe machine to the other. Operable along this horizontal run of this canconveyor belt, at opposite sides thereof and adjacent the opposite endsof the conveyed cans, are coacting pressure applying belts which,respectively, are equipped with abutment pads for engaging against theclosed ends of the cans, and with plungers for entering their open endsfor the compression of the cans contents. The belts are all operated insynchronism to cause the pads and plungers to travel along insynchronism with the travel of the cans, and in functional registrationtherewith. Also, guideways'are provided for the pressure applying beltsso that they will be properly spaced and will be moved relative to eachother as required to first bring the pressure devices into position, andthen to bring about the compressing of the contents of the cans as theyprogress through the machine.

Referring mor in detail to the drawings- As will best be observed inFigs. 1 and 3, the filled cans l are delivered by gravity down a guidechute 2 and to an indexing star wheel 3 which operates to space and timethe delivery of cans into the receiving end of the machine, where theyare discharged onto a conveyor belt 4. The belt 4 is continuous, and inits construction comprises a succession of belt links ll, all of thesame dimensions and joined together in succession by hinge shafts 6,extended through ears I that project into overlapped relationship fromthe adjacent edges of the links. At the ends of the hinge shafts t arerollers I, designed to support th 'horisontally extended top run of thebelt for easy travel upon a horizontally extending guide plate or rail Iwhich is fixedly supported in the frame structure of the machine.

As noted in Figs. 1 and 4, thisframe comprises a plurality of spaced,horizontal cross, beams i and'vertical legs i I, all of which would berigidly Joined to give the machine the required strength.

Details of the conveyor belt 4 are shown in -a,ss7,a4o.

various belts and the timing-the delivery of cans to the machine and tothe -belts.-

. Mounted on alternate links of the belt ii are abutment pads, or tablesII. and their spacing is exactly in accordance with the conveyingdisposition of cans on the conveyor 4 and, in the operation of themachine, these pads will be brought flatly into engagement with theclose ends of the cans upon their entrance into the machine. Preferably,these pads would lit within the countersink of the can end.

Likewise, mounted on alternate links of the belt it are the plungers ll,spaced in accordance x withthe spacing of the cans as carried by the Inthe belt 4, adjacent links are provided with Y upwardly diverging.arcuately curved seats lt-l 4, designed to cooperatively receive thecans therein and to hold them properly registered with the abutments andplungers on belts ii and I whereby the liquid extracting pressure isapplied to the cans contents. As will be seen in Fig. 2, the wheel I! islocated at the receiving end of the machine, below the star wheel andendof chute 2, and by reason of the curvature of the belt, in itspassing about the wheel, adjacent seats ll-l 4 will be opened apart asnoted, to easily receive the cans between them, then as the belt inpassing onto the rails I, straightens out, the seats will close togetherand conform to the cylindrical curvature of the can body, and will holdthe can against lateral play on the belt, and by reason of theirengaging the double seam and flange at opposite ends of the can bodies,will hold them against endwise shifting.

belt I and adapted to freely enter the open ends ofthe cans as they arebrought into the machine. The hinge shafts il which Join the links ofthe belts II and II are equipped at their ends with rollers ll adaptedfor travel in continuous, horizontal guideways which are arranged in theframe structure as shown in Fig. l, and these guideways are so shaped,or designed, that they will cause'cooperatively arranged plungers andpads to gradually converge toward the can ends at the entrance of themachine, and to likewise diverge at the discharge end oi the machine.

Along the top or main run of the belt 4, the adiacent run of the belt, Il is straight, and is par- Supported for travel in the same horizontalplane. and at opposite sides of the line of cans as supported on rail 9by the top run of the conveyor I, are the pressure applying belts,designated in their entireties, respectively, by numorals II and It.Each of these belts is coextensive with belt 4 and is a continuous linkbelt with the links of rectangular plate form and joined hingedlytogether at adjacent edges by pivot or hinge shafts l'l extended throughears l1 formed on the link edges.

The belt I! operates at its ends about sprocket wheels I I and iscarried on vertical shafts lid and Na. Likewise, belt it operates aboutsprocket wheels 20 and II carried on vertical shafts 20a and 2 la. Thesevertical shafts are rotatably supported in suitable bearings providedtherefor in the frame structure as at 22 in Fig. 2, and both belts aredriven in unison andin an exact timing allel with rail 9 upon-which thebelt 4 operates. The guideway which carries the elt I is straight forthe most part and parallel with rail 8. but at intervals. has slightoutward bends as at 42 in Fig. 6, whereby brief intervals of release ofpressure are made possible. The spacing of the guideways whereby thebelts II and It are carried. is such, with respect to the line of causescarried by the belt 'I on rail 9, that the desired pressure may begradually applied to the cans contents by the plungers on belt it whilethe apbolaifidupressure is sustained by the abutments on The guidewayfor belt it may be so inclined that, after the plungers have beenbrought into i to any extent that might be found necessary as canned.

with the belt 4 by any suitable means, such as that shown in Fig. 2,wherein it is a gear that is fixed on the shaft Ila to operate indriving mesh with a gear 2' fixed on the lower end of shaft Ila whichmounts the sprocket wheel is about which the belt it operates. A similargear arrangement would be provided to drive shaft 2la on which thesprocket wheel 2| is fixed and about which belt It operates. v

At-its upper end, the shaft "a has a geared driving connection withshaftjawhich mounts the indexing wheel 8, as at 28 in Fig. 2, and itwill be understoodthat these connections provide for the desiredsynchronous travel of the.

determined by the character of the product being In order to compensatefor slight differences in the extent of filling of the cans,the'plungers 38 are fixedly mounted on stems l4 and these are slidablein bearings 45 in the links. Coiled springs 4i bear against the linksand against the plungers to urge them into the cans but the extent ofoutward movement is limited by nuts It adiustably threaded onto theinner ends of the stems.

Assuming the machine to be so constructed, its use and mode of operationis as follows:

Cans i, filled to the designated extent, are delivered down chute 2 andare timed in their'individual delivery to seats of the belt conveyor 4,

which 'operates to move the cans along rail 9 throughthe machine. As thecans thus enter the machine, the belts i5 and i8, traveling in I theirguideways 40, are caused to slightly converge and thus to bring theabutmenis into engagement with closed ends of the cans, and the plungersinto their open ends. Then, as the cans advance, the plungers are causedto move slightly inward and to exert a gradually increased pressure onthe cans contents, with periodic relief of the pressure, that causes asort of pumping action that will eii'ectively extract liquid confromcontents of the cans. "This flows out.

and may be caught in a receptacle if desired. The pressure applied maybe varied as desired either by adjustment of the guideways, or by springpressure, and the extent of entrance of the plungers may be determinedby the adjustin of the nuts 48 on their mounting stems.

At the discharge end of the machine, the belts l5 and [6, by reason ofguideway design, are caused to diverge and thus to release the cans. Thecans are then discharged from belt 4 into a delivery chute 50 forconveyance to a point of further operation.

In this way, the desired extraction of liquid from the fish, or othercontents of the cans, may be economically and expeditiouslyaccomplished, and the invention becomes very desirable in the method asset out in my previously mentioned copending application covering amethod of canning fish.

It is to be understood that the details of construction herein disclosedmight be varied to meet certain special requirements or conditions, andthat size and length of the machine may be govemed to some extent by thecapacity desired,

the product being canned, and the size of cans employed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a. machine of the characterdescribed, a conveyor guiding and supporting rail, belt guides atopposite ends of the rail, an endless conveyor belt operable over thesaid guides and upon the said rail, and comprising hingedly joinedlinks; adjacent links being equipped with parts coacting to form canseats and adapted to open apart in the passing of said links about saidbelt guides, means for driving the belt, means for placing filled,unclosed cans in the open seats at one end 01' the rail, for conveyancealong the rail, a pair of endless belts operable along the guide rail atopposite sides of the conveyor belt, abutments on one belt for engagingthe closed ends of conveyed cans, plungers on the other belt arranged toenter the open ends of the cans and press against the contents thereof,and cam rails for guiding said belts to cause the abutments to hold thecans in their seats and the plungers to apply pressure against the canscontents. 1

2. A machine as recited in claim 1 wherein the plungers are yieldinglymounted on the belt, and wherein the cam rail for that belt is 50located as to cause a yielding application of pressure to the canscontents.

3. A machine as recited in claim 1 wherein the paired endless belts thatare operable along the guide rail at the opposite sides of the conveyorbelt are link belts, and wherein the links are wheel mounted for travelon the cam rails.

4. In a machine of the character described, an elongated guiding andsupporting rail, 2, traveling endless belt conveyor arranged to rideupon said rail and equipped at intervals therealong with can mountingseats, belt guideways extended along said rail at opposite sidesthereof, belts movable in said guideways in accordance with directionand rate of travel of the said conveyor. abutments on one of said beltsadapted to be brought against the closed ends of cans placed in theseats of the conveyor in its travel along the rail, plungers mounted onthe other belt and adapted to be advanced thereby with travel of theconveyor along the rail into the open ends of the cans to effectcompression of their contents, and means for disengaging the abutmentsand plungens from the cans after the compression of their contents forthe removal of the cans from their mounting seats.

EDWARD M. BORG.

